Saturday, March 26, 2016

The Portal of Bel or Ba'al

While portals in the role-playing system of 9PRPG are entirely fictional, there are sources from history and myth, legend and lore from which we can draw examples from. Such history is about to be made in cities like New York and London very soon. 

An archway from the temple of Baal in Syria is expected to be replicated, and then under construction in New York City in April of 2016. 

For those who haven't read this news, please visit:

http://themostimportantnews.com/archives/will-a-gateway-be-opened-when-the-arch-from-the-temple-of-baal-is-reconstructed-in-times-square

And in historical reference, from Wikipedia: 


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Bel

However, there is some history particularly left out of these references. This history which I refer to is that of ancient Erin, known to us now as Ireland. In ancient times, Erin was ruled by the elite class known then as the Druids. The Druids opened portals of some kind in their gloomy groves, wherein they sacrificed the Irish to their god(s) Bel. It is believed that this god may be the same fiery spirit from the Far East, which the Spanish may have encountered before the Irish came under rule of the oppressive Druid elite. In the last days, in the 1600's A.D., if I remember correctly my studies of Erin, the last battle between the Irish Christians and the Druids was fought fiercely, ending with the victory of the Irish people. Then, came the Danes, which ensued more wars for the Irish. Yet, in their preoccupations, it may very well be that the Christians did not cleanse or banish Bel from those wicked groves of the Druids. This is entirely possible, because when the next season came round when Bel's sacrifices were ordinarily performed by the Druids, and there being no Druids left in power after the conversion of the arch Druid by Saint Patrick, and the final wars fought in Erin, there came a great storm which punished the people of Ireland. Over time, however, this was forgotten. History became legend, and legend became myth. 
...

To learn how to implement dynamic portals and maps in traditional role playing games, please purchase the Portals Manual ebook for Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Portals-Manual-Nine-RPG-Supplements-ebook/dp/B019W34GXW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Friday, March 25, 2016

Necro Portals RPG Update

Necro Portals RPG 
N9PRPG
Thomas P. Walton



Necro Portals 
By Thomas P. Walton
2016
Prepared by Thomas Walton for Nine Portals RPG

The infinite void is the ultimate potential for creation, manifestation, and the birth of new universes. Of all universes none is so dreadfully feared by the mortal races than the infamous Necroverse. 

The Necroverse exists as a quasi universe, a sort of virtual world laid over the realm of the dead. In this verse the necromancers elite reigns supreme. However, this Necroverse is not independent of other worlds. Rather, all mortal realms provide the necessary foundation for which the Necroverse is built upon. 

Spanning infinite realms of man and beast is a network of portals which allow for the necromancers  to enter and exit the lands of the living at will. Hidden in the tombs of kings or in the shunned necropolises or in the graveyards of modern cities are the gates to the Necroverse. 

In this infamous volume, we will explore the realm of mankind's most dreaded enemy, the undead. As a matter of course, this tome of evil fantasy will serve as a manual for game masters to map the Necroverse, plot necro portals in strategic locations, and route teleportation across various maps. 

The peak of your darkest fantasy gaming experience is limited only by your imagination. 

The Lore of Necro Portals
From the essential salt of the dead, a mixture of stone, bone, and sometimes various metals, are combined to create the arch for the entrance to the infamous realm of the undead wizards. The Necroverse must feed from the world of the living, or its magical framework will collapse into the world of the true dead. 

Once there existed the great kingdom of Gaia Saar, which was ruled by the wise and gifted seer King Futharion. It was in the south peninsula of Futharion's kingdom where the necromancers first revealed themselves to the men of Gaia Saar. This peninsula was named Talos. In ancient Talos the wizards of Alu guarded a wealth of ancient knowledge concerning the portals of the original and primordial world before Futharion's ancestry set a throne upon Gaia Saar. The vorpal technology of lord Gygatherion, Futharion's father, was the very power which destroyed the cyborg invaders of Emperor Veximus. However, the interruption of a new player on the battlefield destroyed the entire world. That player is the necromancers elite. 

It is rumored by the sages throughout ancient Erin and the realms of Medieval Europe that the necromancers came first from Egypt, having been the ancient arts of the pharoah to practice divination with the dead. As the old world of Egypt crumbled into ruins, largely abandoned by the indigenous peoples of that part of Africa, the Greek wizards preserved bits of this ancient art of necromancy, and greatly innovated the the practice into their very own system of spells and hexes. Yet, there was another race which came from someplace beyond the earth, and of which was a species mutated and horrible to look upon. These beings taught new necromantic arts, and combined a sort of bio wizardry, or splicing technology, allowing their followers and initiates to grow new appendages, breathe under water, and resist the harsh cold of outer space. 

In and throughout the ancient world these beings were bred and wedded to mortals, creating the first hybrid race of the necromancers elite. As they were so tremendously feared as outsiders to the growing nations around Greece, the necromancers fled to the isle of Hydra, and some to the land now known as Switzerland, and Finland. The Swedes waged war against their unfavorable neighbors for a time. The family of necromancers was reduced to smaller numbers, and their inability to breed lead them to seek out new and more dangerous arts. 

Via a dark sorcery and super technological breakthrough in teleportation, the necromancers divided their dwindling numbers p, moved across Europe and Asia, and plotted their portals as a network which would one day allow their eventual takeover of the world. 

In the graveyards across countless city states, and in the hidden tombs of long forgotten kings, and on the shunned fields of ancient battles, the necromancers hid their portal entrances from mortal eyes. These Necro portals formed a network through which necromancers could travel the world, particularly through the underworld. 

Then came the discovery of the Necroverse. A quasi reality or virtual layer of reality fixed between the realms of the dead and the living. This universe became a hub for the evil undead emperor, Virulus. 

Virulus taught the necromancers the art of undead magic. In turn, the necromancers worked with the minions of Virulus to create the first new race of Necro golems. This became the legions of cyborg zombie mutants who would guard the invisible doors to the Necroverse. 

How the Necroverse is Organized
Each necroportal entrance is paired to either another door exiting to a cemetery, opening to a hidden chamber, or some other shunned vestige. There are greater portals which open directly to the Necroverse, but this are rare and well hidden. Most portals open to the nexus. 

The nexus is a series of dark corridors, typically the under halls of catacombs, which cross one another in a series of enigmatic mazes. It is within the nexus that adventurers will discover hubs between portals to the outer world and the deeper underhalls. In the darkest corridors of the nexus exist the greater doors to the Necroverse. 


Residents of the Necroverse 
Within the Necroverse there are many necropolises. These cities belong to the lords of the undead, and are home to the legions of vampire intelligences therein. 

As to the necromancers elite, they reside in their own dark towers or black pyramids at the edge of most cities of the dead. These dark wizards tend to avoid the true undead, and require a lifestyle free of distraction to perform their endless research in the dark arts of biomechatronic necromancy. 



Operation of Necro portals 
The portals which open to the nexus of dark hubs, underhalls, and to other places of the dead, are typically invisible. These portals are detectable as a barely visible shadowy substance. Spirits can pass through these portals freely. Living or undead creatures must wait for the portal to become active, or activate the portal depending upon the design of the builder of the portal, and his intended functioning. 

A portal made visible will typically have an arch made of bones, salt crystals, earth from the grave, or stonework. Metal necro portals do exist, but these are much rarer to find. A pendulum will typically be hung under the arch for a portal which operates at certain times. When the portal begins to become active, the pendulum will oscillate. 

In order to make a Necro portal visible one must either detect the portal with a spell, or have some means of seeing invisibility. If additional adjurations exist, such as illusion spells, wards, charms, or traps, then these additional obstructions must be declared in the master document by the game master. 

There are a number of means for detecting invisible portals. 

A pentacle or medallion which allows one to see the invisible world can be worn to see the portal. A remove illusions spell can reveal the true form of a disguised portal. Say for instance, a slab of stone, a tombstone, headstone, or a withered tree in a graveyard are all possible disguises for a Necro portal. 

Casting the Remove Illusion spell can reveal the portal. 

A Detect Evil spell will simply give the magician a sense of the general direction of an open portal. Throwing sand into the air can reveal the contour of a portal arch (If the portal is a physical construct). 


Traversing the Portals
Not all Necro portals are for human travel. There are those portals through which only the spirit can traverse. Thus, some portals exist for the sole purpose of summoning a gate through which demonic spirits or vampiric intelligences can enter our physical world. However, a magician casting an astral projection spell can leave his or her body, and essentially enter the spirit portal. If the portal closes, the player character is trapped in the realm where the portal open ended to. The human body will lose 1d4 life points per day without the astral body.

Most Necro portals allow for human teleportation. 

When entering the threshold of a physically constructed Necro portal, the character is impartial to the external world. That is, the humanoid form takes on the form of a shadow just as he or she is coming under the arch. The player or non-player character is declared an unhittable target. This means that no projectile can hit or harm the character under the arch entrance of the portal. Melee weapons will hit if the attacker is also shadowed by the archway. In the latter case, both characters are impartial to the physical world, and each will take on the properties of a shade while under the arch of an active portal. 

A flat surfaced portal, like that of an oval shaped mirror, does not have an arch. The character standing next to this portal can be attacked by ranged or melee weapons. However, touching the portal energy vortex with a finger, hand, head, or foot will make the target character impartial to the physical world, and thus unhittable. 

Some Necro portals can manifest on the material plane by the will of an outsider. However, the point in space/ time must be within a place where such power is strong, and the barrier between worlds is weak. Thus, portal rangers and clerics of good alignment will often cleanse an area after destroying Necro portals. Failure to banish evil residue may result in a potential future breach in the fabric of space/ time at such unclean or unhallowed vicinities. 

Other means of creating a Necro portal include spell casting or technology, sorcery or super science.

A necromancer with the required skill can cast a Necro portal spell. This spell is included in the Portals Manual ebook, under spells for necromancer elites. 





... Coming soon to RPG books on Amazon.


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Necro Portals N9PRPG

Necro Portals RPG 
N9PRPG
Thomas P. Walton




Necro Portals 
By Thomas P. Walton
2016
Prepared by Thomas Walton for Nine Portals RPG

The infinite void is the ultimate potential for creation, manifestation, and the birth of new universes. Of all universes none is so dreadfully feared by the mortal races than the infamous Necroverse. 

The Necroverse exists as a quasi universe, a sort of virtual world laid over the realm of the dead. In this verse the necromancers elite reigns supreme. However, this Necroverse is not independent of other worlds. Rather, all mortal realms provide the necessary foundation for which the Necroverse is built upon. 

Spanning infinite realms of man and beast is a network of portals which allow for the necromancers  to enter and exit the lands of the living at will. Hidden in the tombs of kings or in the shunned necropolises or in the graveyards of modern cities are the gates to the Necroverse. 

In this infamous volume, we will explore the realm of mankind's most dreaded enemy, the undead. As a matter of course, this tome of evil fantasy will serve as a manual for game masters to map the Necroverse, plot necro portals in strategic locations, and route teleportation across various maps. 

The peak of your darkest fantasy gaming experience is limited only by your imagination. 

The Lore of Necro Portals
From the essential salt of the dead, a mixture of stone, bone, and sometimes various metals, are combined to create the arch for the entrance to the infamous realm of the undead wizards. The Necroverse must feed from the world of the living, or its magical framework will collapse into the world of the true dead. 

Once there existed the great kingdom of Gaia Saar, which was ruled by the wise and gifted seer King Futharion. It was in the south peninsula of Futharion's kingdom where the necromancers first revealed themselves to the men of Gaia Saar. This peninsula was named Talos. In ancient Talos the wizards of Alu guarded a wealth of ancient knowledge concerning the portals of the original and primordial world before Futharion's ancestry set a throne upon Gaia Saar. The vorpal technology of lord Gygatherion, Futharion's father, was the very power which destroyed the cyborg invaders of Emperor Veximus. However, the interruption of a new player on the battlefield destroyed the entire world. That player is the necromancers elite. 

It is rumored by the sages throughout ancient Erin and the realms of Medieval Europe that the necromancers came first from Egypt, having been the ancient arts of the pharoah to practice divination with the dead. As the old world of Egypt crumbled into ruins, largely abandoned by the indigenous peoples of that part of Africa, the Greek wizards preserved bits of this ancient art of necromancy, and greatly innovated the the practice into their very own system of spells and hexes. Yet, there was another race which came from someplace beyond the earth, and of which was a species mutated and horrible to look upon. These beings taught new necromantic arts, and combined a sort of bio wizardry, or splicing technology, allowing their followers and initiates to grow new appendages, breathe under water, and resist the harsh cold of outer space. 

In and throughout the ancient world these beings were bred and wedded to mortals, creating the first hybrid race of the necromancers elite. As they were so tremendously feared as outsiders to the growing nations around Greece, the necromancers fled to the isle of Hydra, and some to the land now known as Switzerland, and Finland. The Swedes waged war against their unfavorable neighbors for a time. The family of necromancers was reduced to smaller numbers, and their inability to breed lead them to seek out new and more dangerous arts. 

Via a dark sorcery and super technological breakthrough in teleportation, the necromancers divided their dwindling numbers p, moved across Europe and Asia, and plotted their portals as a network which would one day allow their eventual takeover of the world. 

In the graveyards across countless city states, and in the hidden tombs of long forgotten kings, and on the shunned fields of ancient battles, the necromancers hid their portal entrances from mortal eyes. These Necro portals formed a network through which necromancers could travel the world, particularly through the underworld. 

Then came the discovery of the Necroverse. A quasi reality or virtual layer of reality fixed between the realms of the dead and the living. This universe became a hub for the evil undead emperor, Virulus. 

Virulus taught the necromancers the art of undead magic. In turn, the necromancers worked with the minions of Virulus to create the first new race of Necro golems. This became the legions of cyborg zombie mutants who would guard the invisible doors to the Necroverse. 

How the Necroverse is Organized
Each necroportal entrance is paired to either another door exiting to a cemetery, opening to a hidden chamber, or some other shunned vestige. There are greater portals which open directly to the Necroverse, but this are rare and well hidden. Most portals open to the nexus. 

The nexus is a series of dark corridors, typically the under halls of catacombs, which cross one another in a series of enigmatic mazes. It is within the nexus that adventurers will discover hubs between portals to the outer world and the deeper underhalls. In the darkest corridors of the nexus exist the greater doors to the Necroverse. 


Residents of the Necroverse 
Within the Necroverse there are many necropolises. These cities belong to the lords of the undead, and are home to the legions of vampire intelligences therein. 

As to the necromancers elite, they reside in their own dark towers or black pyramids at the edge of most cities of the dead. These dark wizards tend to avoid the true undead, and require a lifestyle free of distraction to perform their endless research in the dark arts of biomechatronic necromancy. 



Operation of Necro portals 
The portals which open to the nexus of dark hubs, underhalls, and to other places of the dead, are typically invisible. These portals are detectable as a barely visible shadowy substance. Spirits can pass through these portals freely. Living or undead creatures must wait for the portal to become active, or activate the portal depending upon the design of the builder of the portal, and his intended functioning. 

A portal made visible will typically have an arch made of bones, salt crystals, earth from the grave, or stonework. Metal necro portals do exist, but these are much rarer to find. A pendulum will typically be hung under the arch for a portal which operates at certain times. When the portal begins to become active, the pendulum will oscillate. 

In order to make a Necro portal visible one must either detect the portal with a spell, or have some means of seeing invisibility. If additional adjurations exist, such as illusion spells, wards, charms, or traps, then these additional obstructions must be declared in the master document by the game master. 

There are a number of means for detecting invisible portals. 

A pentacle or medallion which allows one to see the invisible world can be worn to see the portal. A remove illusions spell can reveal the true form of a disguised portal. Say for instance, a slab of stone, a tombstone, headstone, or a withered tree in a graveyard are all possible disguises for a Necro portal. 

Casting the Remove Illusion spell can reveal the portal. 

A Detect Evil spell will simply give the magician a sense of the general direction of an open portal. Throwing sand into the air can reveal the contour of a portal arch (If the portal is a physical construct). 


Traversing the Portals
Not all Necro portals are for human travel. There are those portals through which only the spirit can traverse. Thus, some portals exist for the sole purpose of summoning a gate through which demonic spirits or vampiric intelligences can enter our physical world. However, a magician casting an astral projection spell can leave his or her body, and essentially enter the spirit portal. If the portal closes, the player character is trapped in the realm where the portal open ended to. The human body will lose 1d4 life points per day without the astral body.

Most Necro portals allow for human teleportation. 

When entering the threshold of a physically constructed Necro portal, the character is impartial to the external world. That is, the humanoid form takes on the form of a shadow just as he or she is coming under the arch. The player or non-player character is declared an unhittable target. This means that no projectile can hit or harm the character under the arch entrance of the portal. Melee weapons will hit if the attacker is also shadowed by the archway. In the latter case, both characters are impartial to the physical world, and each will take on the properties of a shade while under the arch of an active portal. 

A flat surfaced portal, like that of an oval shaped mirror, does not have an arch. The character standing next to this portal can be attacked by ranged or melee weapons. However, touching the portal energy vortex with a finger, hand, head, or foot will make the target character impartial to the physical world, and thus unhittable. 






... Coming soon to RPG books on Amazon.


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Diabolical RPG Adventures with Dynamic Portals!

Take courage, players! The dungeon master has some new evil goodies for you! Here we break the notion of tradition, and stand goodness on its whining head! 

Buzz! Whrr! The machinery of wickedness turns, and the gears of destruction grind at the seals of light! Before you can say "Merlin's beard!" a black portal opens, and tentacles reach out to pull you and you companions in. A most diabolical adventure commands your respect? 

Roll to save vs grappling. 
And read about these portals, you would-be heroes! 

http://9prpg.blogspot.com/2015/11/traditional-vs-dynamic-portals.html

Friday, March 18, 2016

Linear and Orbital Portal Routing Maps for RPG Fantasy Adventure

"Charge in! Break down dungeon doors! Or, seek ancient enigmas across thresholds! Linear/orbital RPG routers are different devices for different campaigns!" 

Create linear maps to run encounters in sequence. Employ linear maps for RPG adventures wherein the campaign must follow a set course of events.

Use orbital (cyclical) maps for role-playing where the universe is a far more complex array of dynamic events, spectacular interdimensional battles, and in the use of portals between numerous maps. 


If your player characters set out on a fantasy adventure quest which requires moving between maps frequently, then chances are you are running a campaign with multiple portals. A linear map is too stringent, and is intended for a low level reference map, say a kingdom or a city. The orbital map is your best friend as the game master in this situation of events, encounters, plot, and so on. 


Implement numerous maps into your role playing game by linking high and low level maps through a documented matrix of portals. 


Read Portals Manual...



Monday, March 14, 2016

Chaos in RPG and Real World Comparatives

"Disregarding physics as you know it, a vortex of mist forms a doorway rippling in space/ time before you!"

Welcome wizards and warriors of fantasy and sci fi. No doubt this post is something a lot of people will enjoy a great debate about. The subject is chaos.  Well, let's dive straight in, shall we? 

The word chaos tends to bring almost instantly to mind all manner of destructive imagery. This is because modern thinkers associate dualities in nearly every aspect of life. So entrenched in this reasoning of comparable opposites, we have rather taken up our entire philosophy in science and spirituality with duality, trinity, and all manner of absolutes. This is also because critical thinkers tend to divide the components of the material world, and its functionality into terms people can comprehend on a human level. 

Got news for ya! The universe doesn't follow human laws. 

In role-playing games like Warhammer, we see chaos as a demonic force owing its allegiance to dark gods of the abyss. However, in 9Portals RPG supplements chaos is treated as a state of nonlinear, unquantifiable, and absolute stasis. 

This concept of stasis is something of a reworking of the arcane mystery in 9Portals fictional lore. In ancient times, occultists believed that chaos was a state of no movement, complete stasis, a lack of kinetic activity at any level. It is the no thing of the universe, the great void that can only be accessed by the experienced dream traveler. Well, the rest of us can at least glimpse some aspect of this absolute void, or as the Norse referred to it the well of Mim Mir. We see the absolute potential when we read of old science fiction later becoming science fact. 

But, now, back to RPG... 

What does all of this philosophy have to do with portals? 

The primary, secondary, and ancient primordial portals of the Nine Portals system are all products of this original state of non being, and these portals operate in a system based on order in the cosmos. That order, for those who have not read Portals Manual, was described in the lore regarding Gygatherion, King Futharion, Lord Veximus, the sisters of poison, and the battle for Talos. 

Now, a chaos portal construct is a teleportation device or platform which transcends the forces of order. In essence, chaos portals operate in a non linear system, and a part of the universe which is unquantifiable. Thus, chaos portals do not suffer any penalty rules for being in close proximity to other portals. This also means that chaos portals can operate in any realm or dimensional world, be it physical or virtual. Water portals tend not to operate well in infernal realms, for example. However, chaos portals work just fine in either infernal or aquatic, or wherever. 

Chaos portals are not bound to the limitations of the space/ time continuum. In fact, chaos portals are the basic building block for many artificial portals. 




Sunday, March 13, 2016

Necro Portal RPG

Climbing bone cobbled steps up to a crystal skull resting on a Dias, you sense evil behind you!

Heads up! I am working on the next epic book for Nine Portals. And this one is all about our favorite portal. Necro portals! 



Well, my favorite portal class anyhow! 

Here's what I have as a teaser for you all so far. Happy reading! 

Necro Portal 
By Thomas P. Walton
2016
Prepared by Thomas Walton for Nine Portals RPG

The infinite void is the ultimate potential for creation, manifestation, and the birth of new universes. Of all universes none is so dreadfully feared by the mortal races than the infamous Necroverse. 

The Necroverse exists as a quasi universe, a sort of virtual world laid over the realm of the dead. In this verse the necromancers elite reigns supreme. However, this Necroverse is not independent of other worlds. Rather, all mortal realms provide the necessary foundation for which the Necroverse is built upon. 

Spanning infinite realms of man and beast is a network of portals which allow for the necromancers  to enter and exit the lands of the living at will. Hidden in the tombs of kings or in the shunned necropolises or in the graveyards of modern cities are the gates to the Necroverse. 

In this infamous volume, we will explore the realm of mankind's most dreaded enemy, the undead. As a matter of course, this tome of evil fantasy will serve as a manual for game masters to map the Necroverse, plot necro portals in strategic locations, and route teleportation across various maps. 

The peak of your darkest fantasy gaming experience is limited only by your imagination. 

The Lore of Necro Portals
From the essential salt of the dead, a mixture of stone, bone, and sometimes various metals, are combined to create the arch for the entrance to the infamous realm of the undead wizards. The Necroverse must feed from the world of the living, or its magical framework will collapse into the world of the true dead. 

Once there existed the great kingdom of Gaia Saar, which was ruled by the wise and gifted seer King Futharion. It was in the south peninsula of Futharion's kingdom where the necromancers first revealed themselves to the men of Gaia Saar. This peninsula was named Talos. In ancient Talos the wizards of Alu guarded a wealth of ancient knowledge concerning the portals of the original and primordial world before Futharion's ancestry set a throne upon Gaia Saar. The vorpal technology of lord Gygatherion, Futharion's father, was the very power which destroyed the cyborg invaders of Emperor Veximus. However, the interruption of a new player on the battlefield destroyed the entire world. That player was the necromancers elite. 

... Coming soon to RPG books on Amazon. Read Portals Manual first, to gain a thorough understanding of the order of portals, primordial gates, polarities, and other properties of teleportation in RPGaming! 


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Slip Gate Portals for Role Playing Gamers

Buzz. Whrrr. Portal access *granted*! A steel door slides open into a vortex!

This is the new illustration for slip gate artificial portals for role playing games.
A slip gate is an artificial portal created by engineering. Slip gates are powered like teleport pads, but can operate in a broader range of teleporting locations. A tele pad can only move one player character from one point on a low level map to another point on the same map. Slip gates can open to entirely other worlds, and due to their often having a data input peripheral or control panel screen, these teleport constructs can imitate elemental and primordial portals. 


Here is an example of plotting slip gates on the same map. 

The slip gates in the illustration above indicate imitation of elemental and primordial portals. 


In the illustration above we have several slip gates, and possibly a gas portal arrival point since there is an illustration of multiple players arriving at a point of reference. Each slip gate in this example has an alpha-numeric label, thus pointing to a reference on the portal router document. A second level is indicated by grated out and transparent backdrop grid. 

Here is another map. 

This map indicates a hydra portal. There is a one way arrival point indicated by a red spiral in the dead center of the map. 

An alternative map is illustrated above.
In the above illustration I am moving around objects in Visio. These objects indicate encounters. Encounters can be graphical icons, symbols, or alphanumeric callouts referencing a controlled document, usually the matrix document. 

See Portals Manual ebook on Kindle to learn more about documenting portals.